diff --git a/cpp2rust/converter/converter.cpp b/cpp2rust/converter/converter.cpp
index 655a6020..042f5994 100644
--- a/cpp2rust/converter/converter.cpp
+++ b/cpp2rust/converter/converter.cpp
@@ -381,7 +381,8 @@ bool Converter::ConvertVarDeclSkipInit(clang::VarDecl *decl) {
 
   if (decl->isFileVarDecl()) {
     name = ReplaceAll(Mapper::ToString(decl), "::", "_");
-    if ((decl->isExternallyDeclarable() && !decl->hasInit()) ||
+    if (decl->isThisDeclarationADefinition() ==
+            clang::VarDecl::DeclarationOnly ||
         !globals_.insert(name).second) {
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/cpp2rust/converter/models/converter_refcount.cpp b/cpp2rust/converter/models/converter_refcount.cpp
index 44eb4cc0..050f887b 100644
--- a/cpp2rust/converter/models/converter_refcount.cpp
+++ b/cpp2rust/converter/models/converter_refcount.cpp
@@ -1635,8 +1635,8 @@ std::string ConverterRefCount::GetDefaultAsString(clang::QualType qual_type) {
       if (pointee_type->isVoidType()) {
         ret = "AnyPtr::default()";
       } else {
-        ret = std::format("Ptr::<{}>::null()",
-                          GetUnsafeTypeAsString(pointee_type));
+        PushConversionKind push(*this, ConversionKind::Unboxed);
+        ret = std::format("Ptr::<{}>::null()", ConvertPointeeType(qual_type));
       }
     }
   } else if (auto *array_type =
@@ -2240,6 +2240,7 @@ std::string ConverterRefCount::ConvertMappedMethodCall(
 }
 
 std::string ConverterRefCount::ConvertPointeeType(clang::QualType ptr_type) {
+  assert(!ptr_type.isNull() && ptr_type->isPointerType());
   if (ptr_type->getPointeeType()->isIntegerType()) {
     return ToString(ptr_type->getPointeeType());
   }
@@ -2247,7 +2248,6 @@ std::string ConverterRefCount::ConvertPointeeType(clang::QualType ptr_type) {
   // Pointee of a pointer to incomplete type is an incomplete type that does
   // not have a translation rule. Hence ToString(ptr_type->getPointeeType()) is
   // not enough
-  assert(ptr_type->isPointerType());
   auto str = ToString(ptr_type);
   Unwrap(str, "Ptr<", ">");
   return str;
diff --git a/tests/unit/global_without_initializer.cpp b/tests/unit/global_without_initializer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3e36ba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/global_without_initializer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+struct S {
+  int a;
+};
+
+S *s;
+FILE *file;
+size_t size;
+
+int main() {
+  assert(s == nullptr);
+  assert(file == nullptr);
+  assert(size == 0);
+  return 0;
+};
diff --git a/tests/unit/out/refcount/global_without_initializer.rs b/tests/unit/out/refcount/global_without_initializer.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52ae0d1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/out/refcount/global_without_initializer.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+extern crate libcc2rs;
+use libcc2rs::*;
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::io::prelude::*;
+use std::io::{Read, Seek, Write};
+use std::os::fd::AsFd;
+use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};
+#[derive(Default)]
+pub struct S {
+    pub a: Value<i32>,
+}
+impl Clone for S {
+    fn clone(&self) -> Self {
+        let mut this = Self {
+            a: Rc::new(RefCell::new((*self.a.borrow()))),
+        };
+        this
+    }
+}
+impl ByteRepr for S {}
+thread_local!(
+    pub static s: Value<Ptr<S>> = Rc::new(RefCell::new(Ptr::<S>::null()));
+);
+thread_local!(
+    pub static file: Value<Ptr<::std::fs::File>> =
+        Rc::new(RefCell::new(Ptr::<::std::fs::File>::null()));
+);
+thread_local!(
+    pub static size: Value<u64> = <Value<u64>>::default();
+);
+pub fn main() {
+    std::process::exit(main_0());
+}
+fn main_0() -> i32 {
+    assert!((*s.with(Value::clone).borrow()).is_null());
+    assert!((*file.with(Value::clone).borrow()).is_null());
+    assert!(((*size.with(Value::clone).borrow()) == 0_u64));
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/out/unsafe/global_without_initializer.rs b/tests/unit/out/unsafe/global_without_initializer.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57c51700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/out/unsafe/global_without_initializer.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+extern crate libc;
+use libc::*;
+extern crate libcc2rs;
+use libcc2rs::*;
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::io::{Read, Seek, Write};
+use std::os::fd::{AsFd, FromRawFd, IntoRawFd};
+use std::rc::Rc;
+#[repr(C)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Default)]
+pub struct S {
+    pub a: i32,
+}
+pub static mut s: *mut S = std::ptr::null_mut();
+pub static mut file: *mut ::std::fs::File = std::ptr::null_mut();
+pub static mut size: u64 = 0_u64;
+pub fn main() {
+    unsafe {
+        std::process::exit(main_0() as i32);
+    }
+}
+unsafe fn main_0() -> i32 {
+    assert!((s).is_null());
+    assert!((file).is_null());
+    assert!(((size) == (0_u64)));
+    return 0;
+}